Joining with regional West Virginia and Ohio partners, SHALE INSIGHT® returned to Pittsburgh this year with a clear focus on the economic and environmental opportunities that shale development presents for the Appalachian Basin and beyond. The two-day conference, which attracted more than 1,300 attendees from across the globe, featured engaging keynote speakers, panel discussions, and technical sessions covering topics ranging from energy security to consumers benefits and environmental protection.
Here’s what they’re saying about this year’s event:
“Pittsburgh Hosting Two-Day Natural Gas Conference”
“What is important for this region is to open up new markets, new pipelines, new transportation, the logistics to the East Coast so we can export from the East Coast,” said Gary Heminger, the president and CEO of Marathon Petroleum. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald believes the region’s developing shale gas resources will provide a big boost in another sector. “We can not only export the energy, but we can use that gas to have another manufacturing renaissance, making the plastics that are coming out of the cracker plant,” said Fitzgerald. (9/21/16)
Natural Gas Infrastructure Key Topic at Shale Insight Conference
Job growth and changing infrastructure are the two big topics at this year’s Shale Insight conference. The president of the MSC says that the natural gas industry is giving new life to local manufacturing. “We wrote the obituary for this manufacturing industry over the past four decades. Today we’ve got the ability to write the new birth announcement for manufacturing,” [Spigelmyer said.] (9/22/16)
“Pipelines Pushed at Tri-State Shale Energy Conference”
The pipeline to efficient, cost-effective energy is – simply – the pipeline. And more of it. … “It is so important to connect production to distribution. Build the infrastructure and demand from markets will follow,” Gary Heminger said during the opening minutes of the opening keynote address. … An increase in pipelines, of course, could lead to an increase in demand – and to higher prices. … “We’re no longer relying on foreign sources for 65 percent of our energy needs,” MSC’s Dave Spigelmyer said. “That reliance has decreased to 40 percent because of what we’re doing at home.” (9/21/16)
“Groups Begin Task of Building Petrochemical Industry in Region”
Dennis Yablonsky, CEO of Allegheny Conference on Community Development, noted Shell will invest more than $6 billion on the cracker plant in Monaca, requiring an average of 2,000 construction workers, with as many as 5,000 at its peak. When finished in about three years, the plant will employ about 600 people, but its presence in the region is expected to demand the work of five times as many people in support and supply of its operations. The plant is seen by many as a “game-changer” for the region’s economy, with the expectation it will have a $4 billion impact on the region’s economy. … “We need to look at Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania as a world-class manufacturing area,” [Jerry James, director of Shale Crescent USA] said. (9/22/16)
“Shale Gas Conference Kicks Off With Pipelines”
More than 1,300 energy industry representatives are in downtown Pittsburgh this week for the annual Shale Insight Conference that this year is focusing on getting the gas from the well to the user. … “There is no bigger issue today in our economy than energy,” MSC’s Dave Spigelmyer said. “These are issues every American has on their front burner right now. They know that energy is a driver for the opportunities for Americans to be affluent, to create wealth, to create benefit and opportunity for our citizens.” (9/21/16)
Allegheny Co. Executive Rich “Fitzgerald Says Shale Drilling is Good for the Country”
Rich Fitzgerald (D), a staunch proponent of shale drilling, said the decision to allow fracking to begin at the Pittsburgh International Airport in April of 2015 helped to stabilize the airport’s finances. He said other benefits since the deal with Consol Energy was signed include lowering costs for passengers. (9/22/16)
“Pipelines Are Priority in Ohio Valley Shale Development”
Officials said oil and natural gas development created about $40 billion worth of economic development in the Marcellus and Utica shale region, but they know a series of interstate pipeline projects still under federal review would generate billions more in additional activity. … “We genuinely believe this is a world class resource, and we are genuinely committed to developing it,” [Chevron Corp. Vice President Patrick Blough said.] (9/22/16)
Unnecessary “Regulations Hurting” Energy Development
Regulations and their impact on the natural gas business were a major topic of conversation in the opening sessions of the Shale Insight Conference, which is being held Wednesday and Thursday in downtown Pittsburgh. Keynote speaker Gary Heminger, president and CEO of Marathon Petroleum Corp., addressed Wednesday two challenges to overcome in the natural gas industry: lingering prices and the current regulatory and political environment. … As increased federal regulations continue to pose as issues for drillers and producers, Heminger said that the specter of higher taxes and fees are hanging over the industry that affect whether investment capital will one day return full force to the region. (9/21/16)
“Shale Conference Highlights Importance of Energy to Local Economy, National Politics”
[Continental Resources’ CEO Harold] Hamm’s 27-minute speech took aim at industry regulations imposed by President Obama, protests by “enviros” who oppose drilling and the building of new pipelines, and Saudis who “fight to retain dominance of global oil.” None of them can stop an “American energy renaissance (that) will be the growth engine of the world for the next 50 years,” Hamm said. … Beyond looking at the growing role that natural gas plays in powering the economy, many of the panels and presentations focused on the industry’s need for more pipelines and other infrastructure — and the unique challenges that companies face trying to carry out such projects, including opposition from environmental groups and property owners, media scrutiny and political and regulatory hurdles. (9/21/16)
“Trump Addresses Shale Insight Conference in Pittsburgh”
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump gave the keynote address Thursday at the annual Shale Insight conference in downtown Pittsburgh, hosted by the MSC. … “Regulations are becoming a major industry right now,” said Trump. “We’re going to make it a much smaller industry, maybe a minor industry.” … The MSC says it also invited Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, but her campaign declined. (9/23/16)
Shale Insight Conference Focuses on Natural Gas Infrastructure Growth
MSC’s David Spigelmyer: “We’re really focused now on how we get our infrastructure built so we can continue to track jobs and economic opportunity for our citizens. We’ve gotta get pipelines in the ground and infrastructure built so we can continue to have good news spread across the region like we had just not long ago with the Shell petrochemical facility announcement in Western Pa. We’ve joined with Ohio and West Virginia in this conference to shine a light on where we need to build infrastructure in an environmentally responsible fashion so we can deliver these valuable products to consumers and manufacturers across our region.” (9/21/16)
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